Ferguson protests on minds of revelers at Black Family Reunion in Rockford

Saturday

Aug 16, 2014 at 6:42 PMAug 16, 2014 at 7:56 PM

By Susan VelaRockford Register Star

ROCKFORD — Violence in Ferguson, Missouri, wasn’t far from the minds of those gathered Saturday for the Black Family Reunion.

“It’s totally overwhelming,” said Donna Fort, 55, who was serving up barbecue on the grounds of Ellis Elementary School. “We just have to pull together. A lot of things have happened in Rockford. We didn’t pull together.”

For the past week, Ferguson’s black community has furiously protested police officer Darren Wilson’s fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old who apparently stole a $48.99 box of cigars from a convenience store, then strong-armed a man on his way out.

Wilson apparently did not know that Brown was a robbery suspect when he stopped him and a companion for walking down the middle of the street, blocking traffic. Police found evidence of the stolen merchandise on Brown’s body.

Donna Fort has been reminded of Ernest “Shannon” Graves, a first cousin who died as a result of police using a Taser gun to subdue him.

Her 54-year-old brother, Stan, also of Rockford, also has been thinking about Ferguson and altercations between police and black communities. He’s been praying for the St. Louis suburb.

“We’ll leave it in the Lord’s hands,” he said. “If they don’t take care of it, the Lord will take care of it.”

Huey Jackson, 54, who lives on Donelda Lane, is more concerned about race relations in Rockford.

“We’ve got situations going on here. I can’t worry about what’s going on out there. I would rather deal with what’s going on in Rockford. We’ve got the same scenarios sometimes.”

He’s been paying attention to what’s happening in Ferguson, but he figures that Rockford has similar dynamics as a diverse community with not enough healthy activities to distract young adults from drugs, alcohol and other vices.

Still, Jackson is upset that Brown died because of a police officer’s fatal shot.

Ashley Burks, 24, of Rockford dropped by the reunion to show her support for the black community. She bought some green tomatoes and books about Kwanzaa, Cleopatra and African-American holidays. She also shared her opinions about Ferguson.

“Lethal force is not necessary to maintain order,” she said. “The whole situation is wrong. The situation is layered. We could talk about why someone feels the need to steal. We could talk about isolated communities and oppressed people. Then we could talk about the Ferguson situation.

“Rockford should be paying attention. It’s important to know about what’s going on in our country. Ferguson is a perfect example of what not to do. Injustices are not tolerated.”

Up to 3,000 people are expected to gather for the Black Family Reunion, an annual cultural celebration featuring music, food and information booths.

“We’re here to celebrate,” Deetra Sallis, president of the National Council of Negro Women of Rockford said, declining to comment on Ferguson.